Gong for clocks.



W. G. MORGAN.

GONG FOR CLOCKS APPLICATION rum) JULY 29, 1908.

922,021 Patented May is, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT QI FIQE.

WILLIAM G. MORGAN, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BIGELOW,KENNAR'D & (10., A COPARTNERSHIP.

GONG FOR CLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed July 29, 1908. Serial No. 445,968.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVJLLIAM C. IVIORGAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Roxbury, in the .county of Suffolk and State ofIilassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gongs forClocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in gongs for clocks, the samebeing particularly adapted for gongs which are used in what is known asships bell clocks. In this class of clocks the hours are indicated by adouble stroke upon the gong or by a plurality of double strokes, whilethe half hours are indicated by a single stroke or by a single strokefollowing a double stroke or a 1,)lurality of double strokes. This willbe made plain by the following table:

l.OODing, Ding 1.30Ding, Ding-Ding 2.00-Ding, Dingl)ing, Ding 2.30-Ding,Ding-Ding, Ding-Ding 3.00Ding, Ding-Ding, Ding-Ding, Ding 3.30l)ing,Ding-Ding, Ding-Ding, Ding-Ding 4.00Ding, Ding-Ding, Ding-Ding,Ding-Ding, Ding in which the strokes upon the gong in the ships bellclock are indicated from 12.30 to oclock, inclusive. These strokes uponthe gong are then repeated for each four hours following, that is, fromL30 to 8 oclock, inclusive and 8.30 to 12 oclock, inclusive, whereuponthe strokes indicated in the above table are repeated during the nexttwelve hours, as in the twelve hours preceding.

To secure the result hereinbefore set forth of the double strokes orplurality of double strokes and the single stroke or the plurality ofdouble strokes followed by a single stroke necessarily involves, where asingle hammer is used in the clock, a very complicated and expensivemechanism for actuating said single hammer, (1., a very expensivestriking train which leads to complications and also to great liabilityof the movement getting out of order. To overcome this difficulty inships bell clocks it has been the custom to use two hammers andastriking train well known to those skilled in this art. This reducesthe complication of the striking train, but leads to the followingdiiiiculties. If two separate gongs are employed, one gong for each ofthe two hammers, then a difference in the sound will be produced, as itis almost impossible to get two gongs of exactly the same sound. If twohammers are employed, one striking in advance of the other on a singlegong, then a difi'erence in the resultant tone will be obtained and thisis undesirable. In the ships clock the tone of the different strokesmust always be the same. To overcome these difliculties and use astriking train for operating the two han'nners which shall becomparatively sim ple and in accordance with the striking trains wellknown to those skilled in this art, is the object of this invention.

To these ends, therefore: the invention consists in a gong with a bridgefast thereto, the bridge extending across the gong and of sufficientwidth to be struck by the two hammers, the resultant tone being the sameas if the gong had been struck by one hammer. In addition to theadvantage described, the loading of the gong by means of the bridgedeepens and improves the tone and vibrations of the gong when the bridgeis struck by the hammers. Moreover, the tone may be varied to suit theuser by adjusting the bridge longitudinally of the outer convolution ofthe gong until the desired pitch is obtained, whereupon the bridge issecurely fastened to the gong at this point, all as hereinafter fullyand specifically described.

The invention further consists in the combination and arrangement ofparts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointedout in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a ships clockmovement with a portion of the casing having my improved gongillustrated in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portionof the clock movement illustrating the two hammers and the gong detachedfrom the casing. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-8 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

In the drawings, 5 is a spiral gong, the outer end of which, 0, isrigidly fastened to a plate or bracket 7 which, in turn, is fastened toa stationary portion of the clock, such as the casing 8. The gong has abridge 9 fast thereto which is preferably formed of metal and has a slot10 in the under side thereof which receives the outer convolution of thespiral gong 5. This bridge 9 may be adjusted toward the outer end 6 ofthe gong or away therefrom until the desired pitch or tone has beensecured, whereupon the same is securely fastened against movementlongitudinally of the convolution 11 by forcing the ears 12, 12 towardeach other and thus gripping the bridge to the outer convolution of thegong. The hammers 13, 14 are fast to the rear ends of the arbors 15 and16, respectively, these arbors being journaled to rock in the back-plate17 of the movement and in the bracket 18 fast to said back-plate. Arocking movement is given to the rods or arbors 15 and 16 by a suitablestriking train, well known to those skilled in this art. The hammers l3and 14: are arranged side by side and above the bridge 9, so that whenthe same are operated they will strike said bridge. I

The general operation of the device is as follows: At the proper timethe striking train will operate one of the hammers, say 13,'to strikethe bridge once, if the hour is At one oclock the hammer 13 will beoperated to strike the bridge once and will be immediately followed bythe hammer 14 which will also strike the bridge once. At 1.30 the hammer13' will be operated to strike the bridge once and innnediatelyfollowing the hammer 14 will be operated to strike the bridge once andafter a short interval the hammer 13 will again strike the bridge once.At two ocloek the hammer 13 will be operated to strike the bridge once,the hammer 14 immediately following striking the bridge once. Then afteran interval of time the hammers 13 and 14: will repeat the doublestroke, as before described. At 2.30 the double strokes will be struckupon the gong by operating the hammers 13 and Lt as in striking twooclock and after an interval the hammer 13 will then strikethe singlestroke for the half hour, making 2.30. In this way the different doublestrokes and the single stroke following will be obtained up to fouroclock, when the striking operation hereinbefore described is re Jeatedduring the next four hours and so on for each four hours succeeding. Itwill thus be seen that by simply attaching to the gong 5 the bridge 9two hammers may be used, thus securing simplicity in the strikingmovement and uniformity of tone in the stroke of both hammers, and byadjustment of the bridge upon the gong the desired tone may be secured.

While Ihave illustrated the bridge 9 as being fastened to the outermostconvolution of the gong, it is evident that without cleparting from thespirit of my invention, said bridge may be fastened to any portion ofthe gong other than the outermost convolution.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to secure is: i

1. A gong and a bridge fast thereto and extending laterally therebeyond,whereby two hammers may be utilized to strike said bridge.

2. A spiral gong and a bridge fast thereto and extending laterallytherebeyond, whereby two hammers may be utilized to strike said bridgeside by side.

3. A spiral gong and a bridge fast thereto and extending laterallytherebeyond, whereby two hammers may be utilized to strike said bridgeside by side, said bridge adjustably fastened to said gong for thepurpose specified.

A. A spiral gong having a plurality of convolutions, a stationarysupport to which the outer end of the outermost convolution is fastened,and a bridge fast to said outermost convolution adjacent to said supportand extending laterally beyond said convolution, whereby two hammers maybe utilized to strike said bridge.

5. A spiral gong and a bridge consisting of a piece of metal extendingtransversely of said gong and having a slot therein into which one ofthe convolutions of said gong extends, whereby said bridge is fastenedto said gong.

6. A clock having, in combination, a ong, a bridge fast to said gong,andtwo ammers adapted to strike said bridge.

7. A clock having, in combination, a spiral gong, a bridge fast to saidgong and two hammers adapted to strike said bridge.

8. A clock having, in combination a spiral gong, the outer end of saidgong being fastened to a stationary support and a bridge fast to saidgong, between said stationary support and the inner end of said gong,and two hammers adapted to strike said bridge.

9. A clock having, in combination a spiral gong and a bridge consistingof a piece of metal extending transversely of said gong and having aslot therein into which one of the convolutions of said gong extends,whereby said bridge is fastened to said gong, and two hammers adapted tostrike said bridge.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

"WILLIAM C. MORGAN.

Witnesses V 7 CHARLES S. Goonnve, LoUIs A. Jonas.

